there's more to it. scomplfrnl the stars coming together for one of the biggest nights in hollywood. warning shots fired in ukraine, russian and ukrainian troops face off in crimea and the prime minister to speak about the foreign policy in the middle east and they say they are being forced to work for free for amazon and headed to the supreme court to make their case. >> but who knows about tomorrow.

who knows. >> reporter: he is 101 years old, has a 93-year-old girlfriend and does play golf anymore because it makes him angry but he is not sitting around but he wants to make a difference in congress. ♪ a confrontation in crimea. ukraine i don't know troops marching unarmed into a line of russian soldiers outside of an air base in a city of balbek, the russians fired warning shots into the air and told them to back off. the brief but tense standoff was diffused without blood shed and good morning and women come to al jazeera america and i'm stephanie sy and vladimir putin is speaking live in moss could and calling it an

unconstitutional coup and a seizure of power and john kerry arrived in ukraine and in a show of support he will meet with the new government and it's part of a u.s. plan to increase diplomatic pressure on moscow. russia risks being shut out by the g 8 industrial summit and they are not backing off and russia says troops were sent there at the request of ousted president viktor yanukovych and phil is in kiev and, phil, another department, russian putin pulled out troops on the exercise on the border of ukraine, is that a sign at all of russia changing its position in crimea? >> not in crimea, stephanie, those troops that are on the peninsula are still there, still the people in kiev woke this morning to the welcome news that

at least the war games that have been conducted close to the borders are over but nevertheless the russia military president and the might is still on the minds of people here. outside st. petersburg in russia on monday putin observed the might. war games russia says and a glimpse nonetheless of the military fire power. that same overwhelming force has captured the peninsula of crimea by the air, land and now sea. ukrainian navy ships today were being blocked by russian vessels on the coast of sevastopol and they are defiant even so they said they would be stormed and russia said it didn't make the threats. some have cheered where the flags fly the invasion.

>> everyone is russia and the crimea war is russian before, so this is russia territory. >> reporter: and not a single shot has been fired ukraine remains a country on edge. fearing that russia's swift take over of crimea can spread, northeast pro-russian protesters occupy a government building. >> any spread of the conflict to be on crimea to eastern ukraine could immediately and almost inevitably involve a great deal of blood shed. >> reporter: while they are condemning action vladimir putin is talking about that and in a letter by ousted leader yanukovych he pleads for an intervention and the ambassador to the u.n. read the letter at an emergency session. >> i appeal to vladimir putin to

use the forces of the federation and have peace, order stability and to protect the people of ukraine. >> reporter: and in yet another sign that russia is recognizing crimea as a separate entity from ukraine, russia's prime minister asked his cabinet to provide a financial aid package. a bail out, ukraine's new government says by the aggressors who are now holding the country's economy hostage. >> reporter: phil, is there anything coming out of this press conference with vladimir putin that has been going on? >> well, a lot coming out of that. of course we are all digesting it as we speak. one of the things that sticks out for me stephanie is what many people in kiev will find particularly troubling, he repeatedly referred to eastern

ukraine, not crimea. he indicated by those words that russia is very disturbed by the situation in the eastern part of the country where there are an awful lot of russians and crimea has a history of russia and part of russia for quite sometime but eastern ukraine is by all means part of the territory and pew tin says they are concerned of what is happening in eastern countries and clearly sending a shot across the bow that russia may not stop at the peninsula and people here will find that very disturbing. >> reporter: and phil is reporting from kiev and thank you, phil and meanwhile president obama has pressure to remove the troops from ukraine and we have been monitoring that part of the story in washington and good morning lisa and what are we houring this morning from the obama administration. >> the administration is keeping a close watch on what is happening in ukraine.

as you can imagine they also continue to gather international support to condemn vladimir putin for his move in the crimea region and all eyes on secretary kerry as he begins his meeting in kiev. just before secretary of state kerry boarded a plane for kiev he was in the situation room where president obama called his national security council together to discuss how to deal with the events unfolding in ukraine. while the president weighs his options one thing came out of the meeting, the pentagon says it is suspending exercises and other activities with the russian military while russian forces remain in the crimea region of ukraine. it's the latest step by president obama who says russia is breaking international law. >> cannot be done is for russia with impunity to put its soldiers on the ground and to

violate basic principles that are recognized around the world. >> reporter: that tough talk was echoed at the u.n. by the american ambassador to the u.n. >> what is happening today is a dangerous military intervention in ukraine and an act of aggression, it must stop. >> reporter: but that sharp and pointed rhetoric argued the president's critics say it's coming too little too late. >> economic sanctions and there is a broad array of options that we have. why do we care? because this is the ultimate result of a foreign policy where nobody believes in america's strength any more. >> reporter: the white house disagrees as it weighs economic sanctions and points to russia's currency and the rubble went to the all time low against the u.s. dollar and euro and the natural gas and coal industries and the eu is the biggest customer and european nations

who want closer ties with ukraine may sanction the banks that putin depends on. >> i think he is in a dangerous state of mind and not thinking fully about long-term consequences. >> reporter: now, despite all this tough talk of course, the u.s. trying to give putin a little bit of a way out, for example diane feinstein condemning his move into crimea but says we understand the russian's interest in the area and let's put international observers in there and protect russia interest but let ukraine go in the independent government and putin seems unlikely and unwilling to take that path. >> reporter: you mentioned the big hit that russia's economy has already taken just from the talk of economic sanctions just from the military action, are we hearing anything more specific about sanctions from the white house. >> reporter: the senate foreign relations committee said it will

begin meeting and consolidating on sanctions against individuals both russian and ukrainian individuals and we already heard the white house talk about stopping visa in the united states for russians and we already heard the white house and the other g 7 leaders saying they are pulling out of the g 8 conference. what more is planned? we will have to see in the days ahead, stephanie. >> reporter: the pentagon saying they are suspending joint military activity and communications with the russian military. tell us about that. >> well the pentagon did make this announcement, they planned and do joint military exercises, the pentagon said all of the military engagements are on hold including meetings and a planned conference and say it will not change until russia gets its troops out of the crimea region. >> the latest reaction from washington and thank you. some prominent republicans including arizona senator john mccain say america's foreign policy under president obama is

partly responsible for what is happening in ukraine, appearing on america tonight mccain said president obama doesn't understand the driving force behind russian president's putin's action. >> the president of the united states clearly has no idea of the kind of person putin is and what his intentions are which is to rebuild the near broad, to have the old russian empire restored as much as possible and the ukraine and ukraine is a crown jewel of that and the president has played right into putin's hands. >> reporter: canadian prime minister steven harper says the situation in ukraine is a serious threat to global peace and security, after holding an emergency cabinet meeting monday they talked about russia urging the troops to leave crimea. >> the country is on a course of

diplomatic isolation that could well see russia exit the g 8 entirely. canada has suspended our engagement in preparations for the g 8 planned in sochi and recalled our ambassador to russia, cancelled government representation at the para olympic games and instructed officials to review all planned bilateral interaction with russia. >> reporter: as we have been reporting there has been talk in the west about possible economic sanctions against russia but russia has critical leverage and pipelines that supply natural gas to europe and we report on what could happen if the critical supply is cutoff. >> reporter: the european union gets a quarter of natural gas from russia and half of that is rupted through the pipeline network. any disruption to supplies would hit industrial powerhouse germany which depends on the gas to run factories especially hard. if the cost of german factory out put increases because of

natural gas prices or production were to fall because of a shortage that would rock europe and ripple across the globe. disruption to russia gas supplies could happen in one of two ways, russia could shut off supplies in response to the threat of sanctions or russia could step things up militarily sending troops into eastern ukraine which is part of the natural gas transit route to europe. >> crimea which is the primary area of the terrain is not on the transit route, however, the east of ukraine, a lot of russian speakers there, if the kremlin seeks to broaden this conflict into those regions which are on the transit suits then we could see energy prices in europe. >> reporter: it depends on russia natural gas and infrastructure of pipes that brings it in from russia and through the ukraine. europe tried to diversify a way by divesting in pipelines to the caspean sea and africa and gas

fields in norway but growth for natural gas will eat up much of the new potential supply. >> europe is primarily still pipeline gas market because the domestic supply from these critical producers are declining that really the pipeline supplies that will be available for europe will be largely from russia gas. >> reporter: european leaders understand this and they are calling for dialog with not sanctions against russia. >> reporter: the throat of economic sanctions is taking a toll on the currency and hit a record low on monday. 36.37 rubels against the dollar. we will continue following the events in ukraine as they unfold. in our next hour we will get the russian perspective from a former advisor to the kremlin and you can get up to the minute information on our website, al

jazeera.com. a second day of testimony is underway in the murder trial of olympic blade runner oscar pistorious and he is on trial for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend model reeva steenkamp and it was delayed when the interpreter saw the media and lawyers and left in a panic and once testimony got underway they described hearing a woman scream and gunshots and in the courtroom this man was not buying the former track star's alibi. >> in your apartment with your own girlfriend locked up in the bathroom on the toilet with a cell phone for a robbery, it doesn't make sense. >> reporter: oscar piston teared not guilty plea before testimony got underway on monday and he said he thought his girlfriend was a burglar when he shot her. 14 people arrested in the atlanta area accused of trying to solicit sex with children. among the suspects 56-year-old john mcgill, an elementary

school principal for more than 16 years and he has since been suspended pending the investigation. is this one time thing or going on for years? >> i known dr. mcgill for a while and it saddens my heart, it really does. so i'm not passing judgment because i don't know. >> reporter: the sting operations involved more than 3 dozen law enforcement agencies, authorities baited them as posing as children in internet chat rooms. one iq point could mean the difference between life and death for a florida death row inmate, supreme court is hearing the case of freddy lee hoem this week and saying florida cannot execute hall because he is mentally challenged but he scored over 70 on iq test and is not considered mentally disabled and they will talk about iq alone to determine a convict's mental ability. a case involving amazon workers

is heads to the high court, employees at the warehouse say they have to wait long security lines at the end of the shift and they will decide if am sonl should pay workers for the time they spend in the lines and other companies face similar criticism and apple requires the retail store employees to under go two bag searches a day and was grounds for a class action lawsuit last year. a politician from scott land will be in london today to make the case for independence and allow them to vote on whether their country should break away from the uk and we take a closer look at the long and complicated relationship between the english and the scotts. >> reporter: it's fast, it's fun and above all it's scottish. but this is london to be precise, the headquarters of the english folk dancing and society. here many of the dancers see scottish culture as a cruel part of a wider british identity.

>> it has distinctive policies and things that are inherent to the region but essentially you want to be proud of everyone in the united kingdom and be involved in this sort of thing. >> i think there is sort of a union between england and scott land which is engaged in everything in terms of i'm personally scottish myself but we have the queen and last night the proms and that sort of thing. >> reporter: what they have in the restaurant in central london is authentic scottish produce and they have family connections to scott land and here there is little appetite for dependence. >> having ruled out also enrollment of the eu and euro and the pound and sent out with their currency. majority of customers feel a yes vote would be a mistake.

>> reporter: 61% of people in england and whales want scott land to remain in the uk and it's about preserving a shared cultural wealth. on tuesday the first minister will be in london putting the case for independence but they are not too worried about scott land's political future >> i enjoy the music and dancing and that is not going to change. if it's a different country i would -- it should not take a passport to get into scott land although you never know. >> reporter: we don't know how scotts will vote in september but whatever the result the culture and having a good time will always go hand in hand. and i'm with al jazeera in london. >> reporter: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu delivering a keynote address today at the largest israeli lobbying convention in the u.s. and hours after he criticized the obama administration.

>> their food and accommodations were better, they, the attorneys at the camp could get beer. >> reporter: a world war ii entournament camp that looked a little bit like sleep away camp, a lighter side of a dark chapter in history. and the pope a potty mouth and a verbal fail may have been lost in transition.

♪ you'll have to pardon the pope's french even though he was speaking in italian and he accidentally dropped the italian ecclents of the f bomb and happened sunday during his weekly address at the vatican and they say pope francis was trying to use the word casso which means example or case but pronounced it incorrectly and spewing out the king of all curse words and those in attendance quickly corrected himself and good morning and welcome to al jazeera america and i'm stephanie sy, uncovering the past in camps in an unlikely

place but first let's see what temperatures we will see across the nation with ebony deon. >> reporter: the cold is up and down the coast and 9-40 degrees colder than just 24 hours ago and starting the day across the northeast in the teens and 30s down into texas. we will see our temperatures rebounding by mid-week but today only 39 for your high in houston up to nearly 60 by wednesday. stephanie. >> thank you. a new discovery from a dark chapter in u.s. history, during the forced entournament of japanese americans in world war ii some were held at a came in idaho and there are finds from a dig there. >> highway 12 along the river and turn up a gravel road at canyon creek and you will step out go history over grown and buried. >> i took the chance to get out of that prison camp and with a few others went out to work in another camp. >> mary ann reads her father's

words at the end of the road and here at the camp in idaho and housed 265 inmates and male and volunteers from other camps and there was no ba barbed wire jus wilderness in every direction. >> the road went both places and i was paid $55 a month. >> it was the only camp of is kind in the united states and it was an experiment, is this going to work. >>. the men were japanese dissent but not american citizens and some kidnapped by the u.s. government out of latin america and brought to the country after the attack on pearl harbor. >> during free time i played ball, learned the fun of fishing and tried to learn a few words of english. >> reporter: because he was under justice department jurisdiction these men were considered prisoners of war. they had geneva convention

rights and knew it and exercised the rights. >> food and accommodations were better. the attorneys at the camp could even get beer. >> reporter: they demanded their own doctor and dentists and artifacts unearthed by university of idaho staff and students show they got them. there were movies, musical instruments, a baseball field and equipment for the fathers. that is mary ann's father in the white house and produced thousands of objects while it operated during the war and first walked the site in 2010 and certain it was untouched for 65 years. >> there were whole bottles and thousands of artifacts on the surface. >> reporter: pieces from gambling games, art carved from local river rock and faded candy wrappers and so much more. >> he would love there is more studying going on now and if he

could have gone to see the dig site and all of that, that would have been awesome for him. >> reporter: he did try decades ago before he died, father and daughter drove the 200 plus miles of highway 12 that he helped build but they never found the camp, the buildings had been dismantled after the war. >> he was free to have all that experience, isn't that ironic, he was free to have all that experience and my father liked it. >> reporter: he was not free of course, just a prisoner of a different kind in a different kind of world war ii camp. allen with al jazeera, north idaho. a tax break for more than 13 million americans, president obama set to unveil the new budget this morning and tell you who will benefit the most if that proposal makes it through congress. plus you might call it thc-tv, marijuana commercials could be coming to a television society

near you and life gave them lemons and they made lemonade and going to school. if you think durant is the mbp lebron says not so fast and we will talk about the record in south beach.

♪ welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm stephanie sy, israel's prime minister is pushing back against u.s. diplomacy in the middle east and met with president obama on monday and discussed a framework for reaching a pack with the palestinian and netanyahu had frustration for, syria and iran and to have compromise israel must be secure and netanyahu will deliver the keynote speech

to the american, israel publish affairs and apac is the largest and pro-israel lobbying group in the u.s. and as you can see libby casey is joining us from washington and good morning, what is the prime minister first of all trying to achieve with his trip? >> well, he sat down with president obama in the oval office yesterday for three hours and the meeting lasted so long he was late getting over to capitol hill to see members of congress and had so much on the plate ranging from syria to ukraine and the two big items, potential israel palestinian peace talks that john kerry is trying to shepherd through a process and the question of a nuclear iran. now president obama is trying to as all ps to emphasize the close really -- relationship between them and the u.s. and calling on the prime minister to get ground and meet palestinians halfway

and prime minister netanyahu said it's stirred but not shaken with the u.s. but still fairly stable. he had some push back for the media as he sat down in the oval office with president obama over iran. >> iran calls open and about destruction. i'm sure you will appreciate that israel cannot permit such a state to have the ability to make atomic bombs to achieve that goal. we just cannot be brought back again to the brink of destruction. and i as the prime minister of israel will do whatever i must do to defend the jewish state. >> reporter: the prime minister will address apac this morning and is the keynote speaker and look for conversations today including iran as well as the peace process. >> reporter: and libby i

understand that yesterday iran was also a topic at the apac convention. >> that is right, secretary of state john carry addressed thousands of people gathered for the meeting despite the snow and travel problems in washington many people still here stephanie and robust presence and secretary kerry tried to reassure a little bit and this is what he had to say. >> if iran fails this test america will not fail israel. that i promise. [applause] we have taken no options off the table but so far there is no question but the tough sanctions and strong diplomacy are already making israel and america safer. >> reporter: secretary kerry not the only one speaking and heard from members of congress including senator mr. mccain and talked about iran and pushed

back at obama administration and he believes that congress should impose sanctions against iran that would kick in if iran does not agree to the tenants set out in the nuclear arms agreement that has been laid out and mccain wants to see impact if iran pulls back at all and see tension there as the apac gathering unfolds when it comes to especially what a nuclear iran would mean for the middle east. >> and the question of how russia will play into in deal now that tensions between them are high and thank you. daniel levie is director of the middle east north africa program on foreign relations and a former advisor to previous israeli governments and joins us in london this morning and thanks for being with us. first of all, in the meeting at the oval office yesterday between mr. netanyahu and obama

ukraine was on the topic list and that was because in some ways it has become a distraction for the israel palestinian issue and do you think the talks will be resolved and were supposed to be done according to secretary kerry? >> i believe washington can chew gum and walking at the same time and secretary kerry will continue his efforts. i don't think the ukraine distraction is the real challenge there for the american administration. i think the challenge is that we have been here before and there still seems to be a very little appetite or perhaps no happen tiet on the side of the occupying power israel to withdraw occupation and i think everything else is background music. >> reporter: let's go to the topic at hand and you yourself worked on the israeli peace efforts in the past and specifically the top of

negotiations which many say came close to fruition and what do you think the prospects of a deal are given what you know about the players today. >> zero, there will not be a deal by april. in fact, that is no longer the american ambition and i think what secretary kerry is trying to achieve is some kind of general framework around which negotiations could continue perhaps through to the end of this year or beyond. and there is speculation as to what might be in that framework, there is speculation as to whether this is something the parties would endorse or would simply acknowledge and say this is an american position for which they have reservations. so i think that is the ambition now. the problem with that ambition is whether secretary kerry will offer clarity where clarity needs to be offered and on this i think there is a strong suspicion that will not be the

case and there will not be a clear reference to, for instance, what the border would have to be, how small the land spots would be and how possible land swaps would be and a series of issues like that. >> reporter: they want specifics from secretary kerry on the plan before it agrees to a framework. >> not at all, israel wants specifics on the things that it is making particularly unreasonable demands, recognition of a jewish state for instance. it's the palestinians i think who want the specifics on the practicalities on if the occupation will end and east jerusalem will be the capitol et cetera and the specifics are not being offered by the leaks that have been coming out regarding the possible american contours of the plan. >> reporter: as he arrived in washington monday morning

netanyahu king of sound pipes said the tango in the middle east needs three and for years there is two, israel and the u.s. and now it needs to be seen if the palestinians are also present. given that according to the latest statistics out of israel, israel built more than 100% more settlements in 2013 than 2012 in the west bank, what ground does mr. netanyahu have to stand on on that argument that only the palestinians are to blame here for progress in the talks? >> the ground he has to stand on is precisely the ground that you pointed out, stephanie is that he is masterful when it comes to sound bites and the ground he has to stand on is the distorted debate that takes place in washington when it comes to the israeli, palestinian issue. the two-person tango between the united states of america has been a dance of swallowing up the land on which there could be

a future palestinian state. this is of course a complex conflict but at one level it's a rather simple conflict and a conflict in which you really need an solo artist and not three to tango and then it's simple, israel has to are draw military and allow for the creation of a palestinian state. >> reporter: you clearly don't seem to believe that mr. netanyahu could be that single solo player and daniel we will is to leave it there, director of the middle east, north african program of the middle east foreign relations. later today president obama will submit the $4 trillion budget plan to congress and erica joining us now and the big goal here is to address economic

inequality. >> and to cut workers without children and those with children benefitted from a particular tax break and they said last night the expansion under the new budget would address quote an important missed opportunity. >> let's make this a year of action. >> following the state of the union he is addressing inequity in 2015 and helps low-wage workers with children, the president's proposals helps those without children and wants to double a childless workers credit to about $1,000 a year to help pay for the cost of the new tax break, the president is proposing an end to an old tax break for some of the wealthy, specifically closing tax loopholes for high income self-employed workers and fund managers and that move is projected to garner $60 billion over ten years, for the full time workers with kids he wants to expand the existing tax credit to cover child care costs

and the white house says it will cut taxes for 13.5 million americans. other ideas expected in the president's proposal making preschool available for all four-year-olds, higher tobacco tax, would pay for it and tax credits for college situation and wants it permanent and funding for anling highways and railroads across the country, stephanie. >> we will see where it goes with congress and have an expert on that in the next hour and erica thank you. it looks like that blast of winter weather may finally be moving out of the northeast and ebony deon has a look at the complete forecast. good morning. >> reporter: the snow but the cold air is sticking around and we seen the cold air make its way to the gulf coast where this morning we are dealing with icing across southern areas of texas, freezing rain now taking place around houston and corpus

christie and a few clouds heading to the afternoon and not much of a warm up expected and well below average and any travel plans on houston and i-10 and further north it's going to be a very slick and slippery go so do watch out for that as you go through the day. the cold air has made its way into georgia as well. yesterday we were in the 50s but this morning we are still around the freezing point and seeing the freeze warnings persisting until at least 9:00, 10:00 this morning and we will gradually see our temperatures rising to around 40 degrees but watching out for rain showers and it's a wet mardi gras in new orleans and an area of low pressure along the gulf coast and to the northeast it will keep rain in the forecast through at least wednesday and keep umbrellas handy and looking through the country light snow across the

great lakes and it's the cold air and continue to bundle up if you head out in chicago and we will see a few snowflakes flying and the temperatures are below average. comcast has a green light from commercials that connects patients and doctors to prescribe medical marijuana. >> let's make this work, you buy it and throw in rice paper man totally free. i got everything and california rolls baby. >> reporter: you would not bias suchi from him so why buy marijuana. they connect doctors with marijuana recommendations, simple, confidential safe. >> reporter: there it is, the ads will run between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. eastern in new jersey, massachusetts and illinois. states that allow, of course, medical marijuana. comcast officials believe it's the first television advertising campaign of its kind. a record-setting night for one

of the nba best, john henry smith is here with the story and i think we can safely say he is the best. >> the king and for a reason and we ask you and every one watching when is scoring 38 points and pulling 19 rebounds as al-jefferson did last night and nearly pointless and irrelevant exercise when a guy on the other team score as lot more points and that guy's name is lebron james and they average 46 points a game for the heat but on monday they rested wade and james picked up the slack and then some and 8 and setting team records of 22 field goals made, 25 points in a quarter and 61 points for the game. that is his career high and comes gas the bob cats team that allowed ann anthony and heat 104-101 and drew strength from the home crowd.

>> excitement from the fans, they don't believe i was doing something special and looking to the bench and seeing them excited about what i was doing and showed me i was doing something special and you are out playing and out doing what needs to be done to help the team. >> reporter: well the nba's first openly gay player assigned a second day contact with the brooklyn nets and signed the first ten day deal with the team on february 23 and averaged three points and four for a game and made the first appearance in monday night and the crowd met him with warm applause and the game and the nets beat the bulls 96-80. tournament time is approaching and 14th ranked north carolina no longer have to worry about getting in the dance and a loss or two down the stretch could give them a harder road to the final four and taking on 11th place the tar heels were over

last place and they had the game tied at 52 with 5 1/2 left and trailing 14 at half time and they gave unc the lead with three minutes left but notre dame had a chance with ten seconds left and drives for the win, and rejected by marcus to save the game for unc and prevail for the 12th straight win. unrest in the ukraine is getting more serious by the day and the sports world is not immune, u.s. soccer announced that it is friendly against the ukraine is still a go wednesday night in cyprus and set to happen in the ukraine city but the violent clashes them to move it, on monday the president of ukraine soccer federation said he was not inclined for them to play the game outside of the country and he reversed the dance and the game will go on tomorrow. that is your look at morning

sports, stephanie. >> john, thank you, it's being hailed as an architectural marvel school and not every one believes it's attainable. >> this award is handed out in london and made of bamboo and timber and it's the tallest structure here, a sprawling slum. these children will study at the school because their current school floods during the rainy season. >> because, number one, not accommodation any more. and, number two, when water rises through november because

of the equipment and the school and with the level rise, it has to rise and if it goes down it goes down. >> reporter: they are showing people how to build structure that can withstand flooding abbuilt by local people using local materials. the state government threatened to demolish the development and means the floating school could be demolished too. >> it can't be towed away either and too far away from the students and where they live is a prime waterfront location and the government says it wants to build proper houses here. the school's design thinks the floating school can be integrated into in i plans the government might have and he says it makes environmental sense. >> i believe if you perhaps think about it in the view of the climate change and the fact that there are, there is increase in flooding and

rainfalls and currency around africa, it is perhaps intelligent to think about how we can use these kinds of communities and think about them as models for cultivating and contemporary cities in africa. >> reporter: so now the school is the only floating building in mccoa and winning the award could be the only thing that saves it, mccoa. >> reporter: his first vote was for president franklin roosevelt and at 101 years old the next vote could be for himself and he is trying to change the nation. >> access and you give it up. >> reporter: the time for access is now, live to mardi gras after the break.

♪ looking live outside the ukrainian embassy at new york city and kiev protest and minutes ago putin saying few crane holds elections under current conditions russia will not recognize results and welcome back to al jazeera america, the centenarian running for congress in a minute but we will check the forecast and ebony is back. >> we are dealing with wet conditions mainly across texas and into louisiana and cleared the line across the southeast but still expected to see a few scattered rain showers developing through the day. as i take you into texas where we are dealing with the rain and thunderstorm activity around brownsville and icing around the houston highway and watch out there and see a 10th to a quarter inch of ice on the roads

and back to you. >> thank you. a 101-year-old florida man says he can debate anyone when it comes to politics and despite advanced years he think his mind is sharper than people who are younger and we met up with joe newman who is not kicking back in retirement, he is unaring for congress. joe newman says he is an optimist because he has to be. the first vote was for franklin roosevelt and hopes the next vote will be for himself, he is running for congress. >> he tells me you have a big mouth. and most of the people you use it on think that you are saying something reasonable. >> reporter: at 101 years old he will tell you sure he wakes up achy and no longer plays golf primarily he says because it aggravates him too much but he recently bought a new car.

and he can still dance with his 93-year-old girlfriend anita as he did during his birthday party last month. what would you say to people who say you do not have the physical stamina? >> well, you don't like to say this, but who knows about tomorrow. who knows. >> reporter: the registered democrat is in lock step with the parties position on major issues and says it's time for immigration reform and the spying program is an invasion of privacy and the government needs to do more to boost the middle place but says his candidacy is born out of a rebuke to the do nothing congress and depression-era belief that the government should throw a lifeline to those struggling. >> what is frightening is people are thinking that government is lost. our government is our tool that

we must use to create a better society. >> reporter: he says he can already claim victory. >> winning or losing the election is important. but the fact that if we can get people to consider their purpose here then that to me, if i have done that, that is a victory and we have. >> reporter: he admits he has more questions than answers when it comes to improving life for americans but he does have a lot of opinions. in the coming months he looks forward to sharing those including on twitter which he is learning to use. natasha, al jazeera, sara. >> reporter: the oldest is a 90 republican ralph hall and it's fat tuesday and mardi gras time and they are filling the streets

and there will be live music and floats and another mardi gras tradition is drinking and the trouble that comes with it and jay gray has more. >> the sounds of the season. echo from the french quarter. marching bands, the madness of parades and the unique sounds and sights along burbon street. and at the middle of it all is the crew of rex. this is a sneak peek in the den and 27 floats and redesigned and new colors and they say it defines mardi gras. >> it's the biggest carnival and the public carnival. >> reporter: a face that is constantly changing. >> this is how we roll. >> reporter: that face of the party can be found behind

glasses and beads and costumes and masks and paint, the most popular designs. >> a lot of glitter. >> reporter: which is what fat tuesday on the eve of lint is all about. >> there is a time of access and you give it up the next day and that doesn't work in omaha. >> reporter: but in new orleans the annual celebration seems to work just fine. >> reporter: jay gray reporting from new orleans, children with a tv in their bedroom are more likely to gain weight and researchers looked at surveys by 6,000 children ages 10-16 and found 60% had a tv in the bedroom and most experienced weight gain compared to children who did not have one. last month the c.d.c. reported childhood obesity in the u.s. dropped 43%, the most significant decline in nearly a decade and we have a look at the stories we are following the next hour, good morning.

>> russian president vladimir putin saying there is a coup and they square off with troops in an intense moment with warning shots being fired. president obama will have tax breaks for 13 million americans and benjamin netanyahu speaking in washington d.c. this morning just hours after criticizing american foreign policy. also in our next hour we will explore the russian perspective of the conflict in crimea and talk to a one-time advisor to the kremlin and former president yelson and democrats think they can turn the red state blue or at least purple. >> chilly air and freezing rain in south texas and show you when temperatures rebound in the south and east. >> and dell and i will be back with you in two minutes and leave you with a live look at burbon street in new orleans and it's fat tuesday today and crowds already on the streets as

well as a trash truck. al jazeera america. we open up your world. >> here on america tonight, an opportunity for all of america to be heard. >> our shows explore the issues that shape our lives. >> new questions are raised about the american intervention. >> from unexpected viewpoints to live changing innovations, dollars and cents to powerful storytelling. >> we are at a tipping point in america's history! >> al jazeera america. there's more to it.

>> tensions rise in ukraine after warn shots are fired in crimea. what russia's president now saying about the conflict and future of its neighbor. >> president obama revealing his budget today, the tax breaks it includes and how the plan could impact the november election. >> a grass roots effort to turn a democratic strong hold into a state. >> i was born with a competitive

spirit. >> inside the iditarod with one of the biggest names in sled dog racing. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. >> i'm stephanie sy. tensions in ukraine after russia's military in crimea. >> the russians fired warning shots in the air, telling them to back off. the brief but tense standoff was differ fused without bloodshed. >> the latest development comes as secretary of state john kerry arrives in kiev. he'll meet with leaders of the new government today. his visit is viewed as part of a u.s. plan to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on moscow. >> russia is remaining defiant.

russian president vladimir putin said he wants to avoid conflict, but that could change. >> it's a constitutional -- and military seizure of power. i said this before, the only legal penalty is yanukovych. only -- president can be changed, impeachment, death, or resignation letter. >> phil ittner for is now in kiev, as you heard, putin spoke for the first time publicly since russia occupied crimea. what else did he have to say? >> stephanie, an awful lot, and there's so much to digest. he spoke for ruffle about an hour and he said so many things, let's get right to it. first and foremost, he said as

we heard there that the people in power there in kiev today have seized power illegally, that there needs to be a constitutional referendum, that there needs to be a legitimate legal process for finding a new president and a new government. he also said that he had been in touch with the ousted president viktor yanukovych, saying for the first time that there was a face-to-face meeting. interestingly enough, conversely that the russian have said that they came into the country and what they're doing currently here in ukraine was the result of a request from yanukovych, but now here today, he has said that he accepts that there is no political future for viktor yanukovych in the country, and recognizes there will have to be a new government here. as far as what the russians are doing in ukraine currently militarily, he said that while they don't want to use military

force, that certainly if they have to, they can. >> rewarding using force, at the moment, there is no need for that, but the possibility, but there is a possibility. >> now, the other thing he repeatedly went on about is how the west is responding. he said that while for western powers, this is some sort of laboratory experiment in democracy, for russia, ukraine is a fraternal partner. he is very clearly pointing out that there is a strong history between ukraine and russia, these two countries have been tied together for centuries and certainly that naval port on the crimean peninsula is a military asset that has been in the russians arsenal for centuries, so a lot of stuff coming out of that press conference. we will obviously have to

address more of it. very interesting days as we're seeing here in ukraine and certainly on the diplomatic front. >> pro russian protestors storm and occupy a government building in eastern ukraine. the crowd smashed windows and climbed gates in former president viktor yanukovych's hometown on monday. the this has been flying a russian flag for several days. many in the region still look to the kremlin as an ally. >> president obama continuing to keep the pressure on russia to pull its troops out of ukraine. lisa stark is in washington, d.c. this morning and what are we hearing this morning from the white house? >> we have no official reaction yet from the white house to vladimir putin's long press conference this morning. they are digesting it, as well. as you said, putin sounded defiant even as the u.s. and e.u. try to keep the pressure on. also here now the eyes turning

toward the ukraine because of secretary kerry's visit this morning in kiev. >> just before secretary of state kerry boarded a plane for kiev, he was here in the situation room where president obama called his national security council together to discuss how to deal with the events unfolding in ukraine. while the president weighs his options, one thing came out of the meeting. the pentagon is suspending exercises and other activities with the russian military while russian forces remain in the crimean region of ukraine. it is the latest step by president obama, who says russia is breaking international law. >> what we do not neat is for are you sure that with impunity to put its soldiers on the ground and vital basic principles recognized around the world. >> the ambassador to the u.n.

>> what is happening today is a dangerous military intervention, an act of aggression, it must stop. >> that pointed rhetoric is coming too little too late according to critics. >> we can enact economic sanctions. there's a broad array of options that we have. why do we care? because this is the ultimate result of a foreign policy where nobody believes in america's strength anymore! >> the white house disagrees, as it weighs economic sanctions and points to russia's currency, monday, the ruble plum melted to an all time low against the dollar and euro. russia's natural gas and coal industries, the e.u. is its largest comer. moscow banks might be sanctioned that putin depends on. >> he is in a dangerous state of mind and not thinking fully about long term consequences.

>> the obama administration also urging members of congress to put aside bipartisan differences, which of course we're seeing erupt already, put those aside and quickly pass an aid package for ukraine trying to get some much needed economic help into that provisional government there. >> you mentioned that big hit that russia's economy is already taking just from the talk of economic sanctions, are we hearing anything more specific about sanctions out of the white house? >> the state department has said that sanctions are likely, not that they're just considering them, but are likely. there could be trade implications, they could freeze assets and also stop bilateral talks. putin this morning did address that and warned there could be consequences and losses for both sides, he said, if there are sanctions imposed. del. >> lisa stark for us in washington, thank you very much. u.s. leaders say they will boycott the paralympic games in

sochi as a protest to russian aggression in ukraine. u.s. athletes will still be allowed to compete but a presidential delegation will not attended the games. the british government will do the same. the opening ceremony beginning on friday, the games running through march 16. >> stay with aljazeera america for the very latest on the crisis. we'll have continuing coverage all day, these events unfolding rapidly. we'll have an in-depth look with a former kremlin advisor. you can get up to the minute information logging on to aljazeera.com. >> a second day of testimony now underway in the murder trial of olympic blade runner oscar pistorius on trial for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend. monday's opening was delayed when a courtroom interpreter arrived and then left in a panic. once the testimony got underway, a witness described hearing a woman scream and then gunshots.

he said he shot her by mistake, thinking she was a burglar. >> prime minister benjamin netanyahu met with president obama on monday at the white house, discussing a framework for reaching a pact with the palestinians. he expressed frustration with iran. he said israel must remain secure. he will deliver a key note speech to apac. we are joined from washington with more. libby, what is the prime minister trying to achieve with this trip? >> he sat down with president obama in the oval office for three hours yesterday, a meeting that ended up going quite long. there's so much to talk about, what's happening in syria, in the ukraine is also having implications for places like the middle east and russia's power when it comes to hot button

areas of the world, including iran. iran was a big focus of conversation, the question of whether or not iran is going to abide by the pact it agreed to to curb nuclear production, to put a hold to the development of nuclear weapon and allow international inspectors to watch what they're doing. prime minister netanyahu pushed back at the obama administration a little bit. here's what he said specifically related to iran. >> iran calls openly for israel's destruction. i'm sure you'll appreciate that israel cannot permit such a state to have the ability to make atomic bomb to say achieve that goal. we just cannot be brought back again to the brink of destruction, and i as the prime minister of israel will do whatever i must do to defend the jewish state. >> as a counter point, president obama emphasized the close relationship to the u.s. and

israeli have. he is pushing israel on a couple of big items, including israeli-palestinian peace talks, something john kerry is working on, setting a deadline of the end of april. he'd like to see a framework develop. >> back to iran, which was also a topic of conversation at yesterday's apac meeting. >> that's right, it sure was. we heard from secretary of state john kerry trying to reassure both prime minister netanyahu as well as the thousands gathered at apac that the u.s. is taking israel's security seriously and is not going to give iran wiggle room. >> if iran fails this test, america will not fail israeli. that i promise. we have taken no options off the table, but so far, there is no

question but that tough sanctions and strong diplomacy are already making israeli and america safer. >> secretary kerry said iran is not open for business until it's closed for nuclear bombs. that's significant because there are other vocal advocates of stronger sanctions against iran, including senator john mccain, a republican from arizona. he spoke yesterday, very critical of the obama administration on a number of fronts including dealing with iran. he would like to see congress pass sanctions that would kick in and be quite severe if iran doesn't abide by the agreements. expect to hear more today as we hear from the i'm minister directly at aipac. that's going to be the big noteworthy topic today. >> john mccain critical of the president on ukraine. when we come back, we'll explore

the crisis from a different angle, a pro russian view. >> a former russian presidential advisor joins us to discuss the latest troop movements and putins comments on the crisis. >> the big number behind the presidential budget today and tax breaks for more than 13 million americans. >> weaver got that fire. i think that's what's making a difference. >> the political battle brewing over texas and why some believe they can change the balance of power there.

>> up next, the latest on the cries in ukraine from the russian perspective. >> first, how cold it is going to be where you are with temperatures across the nation. >> behind our cold front, we have temperatures nearly 40 degrees colder than yesterday around the raleigh durham area. atlanta is 20 degrees colder. that has many areas starting in the teen's and 20's, carolinas

37, right above the freezing point, but at the freezing point in houston. we have the moisture, dealing with freezing rain this morning. temperatures, birmingham 27. a front has yet to make its way through florida, so orlando is very nice for the start of the day. no stranger to the cold around minneapolis, the midwest, we have set record high, cold and low temperatures all the same. >> since moving troops into ukraine russian president putin held a press conference saying ousted ukrainian president yanukovych has no political future and russia sheltered him to save his life. he said he sees ukraine as more than a strategic ally. >> it is not just our nearest neighbor, but also our brotherly

republic neighbor. >> putin's comments come as tensions rose at an air base. russian troops fired warning shots into the air. the standoff was diffused without bloodshed. >> a former advice or to the kremlin speaks to us. we heard from the russian president. i want you to listen to more of what he had to say and we'll talk then. >> rewarding using force, at the moment, there is no need for it, but there is a possibility. >> after those comments, he said that he knows that viktor yanukovych is no longer the president but said he felt the need to protect him. was moving troops into crimea a necessary step or unnecessary, as far as you're concerned?

>> well, first of all when you say moving troops into crimea, it was most of the troops were there already at the base, the naval base. there were a few thousand brought in because of the danger to security of that base. there is an agreement, by the way between russia and ukraine where russia can take steps to protect its military installations the point here is this. what russia had to respond to was that the central government in kiev was not exactly a legitimate government and mr. putin pressed that point several times. what we had in kiev was a coup d'etat in effect and it is very difficult to prove otherwise. the biggest danger -- >> on that note, i want to point something out and i was going back and doing a little history.

you once worked for boris yeltsin who stood on a tank. would you say that was a coup d'etat? >> no, that wasn't. at that time, president of russian federation, penalty had all the right to stand against them, because these people seized power illegally. so there was a completely different situation to the one that is happening in ukraine. if we go back just a bit -- we would see -- that the reason why this current -- >> if we would take a look back at what happened in ukraine, they said they wanted change, went to parliament, asked for change, asked for elections. they didn't seize power. they said they didn't like the pepper in power and said there should be fair elections for

that power to be challenged. is there not a major difference in what happened in ukraine and a coup d'etat. >> no, there was going to be an election in february, 2015 anyway, so i don't really understand why you should demand an election. you know, you have -- people in america who don't like obamacare and many of his policies don't demand the elections to be moved a year forward. that does not make sense but what we are saying about the particular overthrow of power in kiev is that these popular protests were highjacked by groups of terrorist and radicals. they were armed, they were shooting at the police. there is a lot of footage showing those snipers shooting at the police. we have figures telling us that 20 policemen were dead, 400 wounded. this does not happen during a

peaceful protest. and here's -- thousands of people. >> on that note and if we can keep our answers brief we can get a lot more points in. on that note, there's an old military general saying you win by killing more of them than you. there were more protestors killed and that protest was peaceful until november and even the president himself, vladimir putin this morning criticized viktor yanukovych for opening fire on his own citizens. >> well, the point is this. the armed so-called protestors started killing policemen long before -- well several days before the ukrainian police were issued live ammunition. that is registered on many, many video footage and telephones and so on. to now turn things around doesn't make any sense but let's move quickly forward a bit and

there was an agreement signed on the 21st of february. that envisaged change. then later, yanukovych threw to take part in the conference of his party, the party of regeneralities and that's where the conspirators took power and claimed that he had run away. now -- >> on that point and i feel the need sometimes to make sure that our audience understands the fact from fiction. there was footage of helicopters leaving with viktor yanukovych and his luggage, piss presidential man's was emptied, documents dumped into the river. that does not look exactly like somebody who is leaving, that looks like somebody who is fleeing. >> yes, but he was threatened, his family was threatened.

what would you do if your family and yourself were being threaded and there were people openly, openly promising to kill him, his supporters and so on? amongst those dead you don't hear anywhere, supporters of the government were killed, as well. we have to be balanced this here. the point is this, that once he -- you can say he ran away, a man ran away because he was frightened for his life, ok, i accept this. the point is this, these people take power under duress, force the parliament to take hostile basically legislation, targeted at the russian-speaking population. later, of course, they said oh, sorry, we made the mistake, but you don't do things like that. the unity government, the so-called unity government that was formed afterwards has nothing to do with unity, it's all one sided. >> on that note, i want to go on

to another point, which is to point out that after viktor yanukovych left ukraine, there has not been a single life lost. the escalation now has to do with with us soldiers who have now entered ukraine. you say that is legitimate. before we go further, i want you to hear what president obama had to say yesterday concerning the standoff. >> the strong condemnation indicates that the greater thought is russia's on the wrong side of history. >> do you believe with condemnation from the united states and european union that russia is on the wrong site of history on this? >> no, i don't, because unfortunately, the european union was very active and encouraging this protest because it was very upset that they didn't manage to sign that agreement with ukraine.

i have read that agreement and i can tell you, no sane government would have signed it. the russian deal was much better, there was money on the table, but the european union took it hard, you know, and their politicians were actually flying into kiev all the time and the american politicians, senator mccain was all over the place, encouraging protestors to continue. so to say that america and the european union are now condemning what is happening, i think they have a lot to answer for themselves what is happening in ukraine now. >> thank you for being with us this morning. >> fascinating conversation, del. >> coming up, 1,014,000,000,000, our big number of the day. >> how it could affect your wall let. >> the race for governor in

texas has captured the national attention. could this be the year that texas turns blue? >> 3-2-1 go! >> mushers competing in this year's iditarod. the competition and lengths they go to keep their dogs safe in dangerous conditions. >> onward huskies. sports that start with cries of en garde, ahead in sports.

>> al jazeera america is a straight-forward news channel. >> its the most exciting thing to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get

straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news. >> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america >> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm del walters. the president presenting his budget today, we'll talk about how that could affect the mid terms in november. >> it is primary day in texas, democrats are working to turn the traditionally red state blue.

>> or at least purple. in our next hour, a 71-year-old man is now struggling just to learn to read and write and how his story is one small chapter in a nationwide battle against i will lit razz. >> secretary of state john kerry has just arrived in the ukrainian capitol of kiev, we're looking at live pictures of his plane. senior white house officials say it is support for the new government in kiev. kerry recently warned russia it could face eviction from the g-8 and that assets of russian businessman could be frozen if the kremlin did not reverse on its occupation of crimea. he is about to exit. >> today's big number is $1,014,000,000,000, the amount that the white house the president has said they will spend in 2015. >> the amount is a mere .2

higher than the spending plan which is $1,012,000,000,000. both amounts were set in a congressional budget deal, you'll recall in january. >> the president wants to extend the tax credits he has been talking about for the working poor. today the president will announce $60 billion worth of cuts which he says will be paid for by closing loopholes port wealthy. >> the tax credit would affect 13.5 million people, but it has little to no chance of passing the republican controlled house. we have more details of the president's proposal. >> let's make this a year of action. >> following his state of the union, president obama is taking action with his 2015 budget to address economic inequality. while congress agreed on a $1 trillion budget for discretionary funds, the president's entire plan for next year has a price tag of nearly $4 trillion. the people who would benefit, low wage workers. for years, it's only been

workers with children who den fitted from the earned income tax credit. that break would expand to those without children. he wants to double credits to $1,000 a year. to off set the cost, the president proposes an end to an old tax break, closing tax loopholes for high income several employed workers and fund managers, garnering $6 billion over 10 years. the president is proposing full time workers with kids get a bigger tax credit to cover child care costs. he wants to make preschool available for all 4-year-olds, also the tax credit for college tuition he wants to make permanent. he's including funding to upgrade aging highways and railways across the country. overall, the tax cuts are the biggest headline, expected to help 15.5 million americans. aljazeera. >> here now to break down president obama's budget

proposal is chief political strategist joining us from washington. the president's budget proposal is not likely to have any legs given the divided congress especially when it comes to any new spending. are any of these proposals viable? >> this town is not as grid locked today as a year ago -- >> true -- >> we've seen progress with budget deal and farm bill deal. two of the things the president proposes do have republican support. one is expanding the earned income tax credit as we just heard in your report. the other is spending more money on infrastructure. many republicans would do that. the problem of course is how do you pay for it. the president's plan to pay with tax hikes isn't going to go anywhere. >> closing the corporate tax

loopholes, that also doesn't seem to have legs. that's another thing we've seen the president year after year propose as a way to pay for some of this spending. >> yes, but ironically on this, as well, there is bipartisan agreement. it would have to be in the context of a big tax reform bill. something like dave camp's bill and the chances of a big sweeping tax bill this year are pretty close to zero. >> let's look at other proposals included in the president's budget. you mentioned a major one that could go somewhere, $302 billion to rare roads and bridges. a 1% pay increase for federal workers, and a $1 billion climate resiliency fund to combat extreme weather. when you look at this set of proposals the president has set out, what political statement do you think he's making here? >> well, i think it's a statement to his base that this period of fiscal restraint,

maybe some would say austerity is coming to an end and we've got to spend more money. it isn't going to happen but at least he's making the argument. i would say on income spending and highway reconstruction, some worry the highway trust fund could run out of money. that threat could produce a deal on that, as well. >> all right, chief political strategist as potomac research group, thank you. >> you bet. >> paul ryan is taking the anti poverty programs, the house budget committee chairman unveiled his budget report monday criticizing government spending on 92 programs that provide low income subsidies on food, housing and education. ryan claims with $800 billion spent on these programs, the poverty rate remained steady over the past 50 years. >> texans are going to the polls today, casting ballots in the first statewide primary in this year's mid term elections.

aljazeera is in dallas. she seems to have the weight on her shoulders. >> texas has not had a democratic governor for two decades. they see wendy davis as a viable candidate. she will win today's democratic primary, she's fired up the base. most insiders forecast her losing to greg abbot by double digits in november. democrats say this election season is early and they hope to carry the momentum forward. >> this is the dallas county democratic party. >> the phones are ringing off the hook. the pizza is flying out of the box. the headquarters of the dallas county democratic party is in full-on election mode. >> i'm pretty buzzed up right now. >> early voting members are

promising here in dallas and in other urban counties across texas turnout among democrats is on track to pass that of the 2012 presidential primary. election watchers chalk it up to excitement over wendy davis, the democratic state senator who famously filibusters for abortion rights and now is on the ballot for governor. >> we've got that fire. i think that's making a difference. >> she is seen as the democrats best hope in 20 years. that's how long democrats have controlled every statewide office in texas making it one of the reddest states in the country. ayala sees it differently. >> i see it purple. i've seen more people become political involved in the last year. >> the last time texans voted for governor was 2010 when only 38% of vegsterred voters cast a ballot, the lowest voter turnout

in the nation. historically, half as many texas democrats vote in gubernatorial primaries, wimp is why walking the streets of heavily democratic neighborhoods is the focus of this campaign consultant. >> there probably has been a lot of depression in the democratic party, why bother, we're not going to win. >> even as davis trails by 11 points in the polls. >> this is a list of folks. >> he and his volunteers are optimistic the november matchup could be an upset. republicans see that as wishful thinking. >> the democrats were serious about having wendy davis in a statewide office, they would have put her in a race she could win. >> democrats say if davis doesn't win, she'll build momentum for making texas competitive. they're encouraged that by 2020, more hispanics and young people

will become eligible voters. bullard, a democratic party volunteer, even though his father is staunchly republican. >> have you tried to sway him. >> yeah, i've appealed to him. >> has it gone anywhere? >> sometimes it does. sometimes it doesn't. >> the fact that the debate is happening at both bull's kitchen table and across the state is something seen as progress. to give you an idea of the uphill battle in november, the fundraising numbers, wendy davis that $11 million versus $30 million for her opponent. she has slightly edged out abbot

in the latter reporting period. november is still a long time away and both campaigns saying there's ground that could be made up or lost until then. >> thank you very much. >> also today, a group of republicans from the west want to overturn same-sex marriage bans. today they'll urge a federal appeals court in denver to declare the bans in utah, oklahoma unconstitutional. the two former senators alan simpson from wyoming and nancy castle bomb among 20 senators who have signed a friend of the court brief. those hearings scheduled for april. >> attorney general eric holder joining forces with republicans to soften sentencing laws, getting rid of so-called mandatory sentences. legislation is backed by the white house, saying one third of the budget of the justice

department is spent on prisons alone. >> comcast has given the green light to commercials from a company connecting patients with doctors who can prescribe medical marijuana. >> you wouldn't buy your sushi from this guy. why would you buy your marijuana from him? >> simple, confidential, safe. >> the ads will run between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. in new jersey, massachusetts, and illinois, states that allow medical marijuana. comcast officials believe it is the first television advertising campaign of its time. >> gets my attention. something that i can't say that i have seen anywhere. >> fishy. >> cold air is invading the south and creating some icing problems. >> we're going to talk about the

forecast. good morning. >> good morning. we are certainly dealing with the cold air in place and even freezing rain as far saw the as southern areas of texas. we have a little mess down into the southern plains. as we take a closer view, this is going to create problems for travel in houston, freezing rain down into corpus christie. thunderstorm activity, but now all of that is on the move heading into southwestern areas of mississippi. we now have a winter weather advisory in place, so we'll keep this around through the morning hours. because of cold temperatures in place, freezing rain, bridges are going to become icy. we're watching for the possibility of black ice here. keep that in mind. atlanta is just the cold that you'll have to deal with as you step outside. bundle up there as temperatures could drop a little more this

morning and get down to the freezing point. a broad view of the southeast, while we're not seeing a lot in the way of rainfall into georgia, that's going to change as we get into wednesday. we'll have that frontal boundary draped across florida and then an area of low pressure will develop, as it does, it will draw in moisture and keep things unsettled. snow across the upper midwest, not a whole lot of it, maybe in chicago an inch or two is going to be it. our main problem has been the cold air. it hasn't gone anywhere. at least today, we'll see our temperatures going up slightly but staying well below average. we'll have rain along the gulf coast. in the northwest, more rain around stealth and portland, snow for the higher elevations. back to you. >> the north carolina power company sited for breaking laws after the coal ash spill. >> a leak colted the dan river

and 70 miles of toxic sludge. the company failed to get permits at six power plants. >> that would have required testing at the facility and possibly warned against the spill. the company should be fined as much as $25,000 could be per day. >> it's a sport many don't see often but impacting kids. >> en garde, children introduced to fencing, viewed to be a pass time of the privileged few, but is playing a key role in keeping children off the streets. a report from johannesburg. >> these children are learning the basics of fencing. they come from poor families who can't afford the lessons or equipment. thanks to donations, a 10-year-old is this year's national champion in her a inge group.

she's competed in europe. >> fencing is good and you travel to other places. it's nice. >> he has been fencing for a week. this is not about doing something new, challenging and fun, it keeps him out of trouble you. >> there are many bad things that happen on the street, other children are stealing in parts that you hang out with the wrong people. my friends and i heard about this from school. we were curious and so far, so good. >> joseph started this club, visiting schools encouraging children to join. he said some teachers and parents think fencing is dangerous and discourage

children. >> when you walk around, say hey, what's that dress code, it's fencing. a black guy in a fencing costume, yeah, i'm a black guy doing fencing, is there some problem with it? let's give it a try, everyone come join, let's see what it teach us. >> they have competed in the olympics and other global competitions. he dreams of winning an olympic gold medal one day, believing with practice, anything is possible. aljazeera, johannesburg. >> that's sports for this hour. >> it's very good for your core, as well, balance and core. >> and your legs, too. >> then i should definitely taking up fencing, my core needs attention. >> the possible easing of tensions in ukraine helping global markets bounce back today after the cries caused a selloff on monday. on wall street, dow futures are

up 178 points, european markets also up across the board. overseas, markets ended the day mostly higher, one equity strategist warning against knee jerk reactions. >> if you have positions in russia, i would hold on to them. i think the truth here is that this is a much more interconnected world than even russia probably understands, and a lot of the selloff yesterday is going to communicate that to russia and a lot of people that this is not the same russia we knew even 10 years ago. >> u.s. crude prices are down more than 1% after rising more than 2% yesterday. >> detroit will pay u.b.s. and bank of america $85 million to settle its pension debts. the proposed deal will give detroit access to casino tax money. the banks hold a lean over the money until they're paid each month. >> dish network and walt disney

signing off on an agreement over programming, paving the way for dish to offer disney's content. no start date has been announced. it ends the legal standoff between the two companies over ad skipping technology. >> microsoft's bill gates regained his title of the world's richest person. net worth at $76 billion. he's been at the top now for the last 20 years, taking the top spot from mexican tycoon carlos slim. there are a record 1,645,000,000,000aires, give or take. >> give or take. the iditarod is a 1,000-mile race across alaska. a competitor takes us inside the race. >> it's an icy morning in the south. i'll show you where freezing rain is falling and where we'll

get more snow. >> it is mardi gras. we're taking a live look at bourbon street in new orleans this fat tuesday, the last day of the carnival season, the last day to party hard.

>> welcome back. up next, a famous musher shares why she takes on the iditarod. >> many of you might need sled dogs to get around. >> good morning, snow is falling around chicago and michigan, but light snow, only about an inch or two around chicago and toward milwaukee. we are seeing a disturbance out of the west, spreading light snow, but really more of a nuisance than anything. we are seeing problems with the freezing rain coming down through the last couple of hours. it is going to be a slippery go.

watch out there. in the northwest, more rain coming in around seattle. back to you. >> the iditarod is one of the most grueling sporting events and coolest in the world. dozens of sled dogs running a thousand miles through the ice and snow of alaska. >> there are 70 dogs competing, mushers as they are called, including the top 10 from 2013. we report from the sidelines as they make their way to the checkpoint. >> one of the biggest names in mushing, ladies and gentlemen dede. >> i race because i have -- i was born with a competitive spirit and i like to see how i can be the best i can be, but it's, you know, i'm racing ultimately with myself. >> she's been doing it for four decades, a frequent top 10 finisher, dedetreats her dogs as family. in return, they race hard and put up with incredible challenges and hardships, all for her. >> i have dedicated my life to

this, because it's the ultimate relationship between dog and man. this race is the opportunity to hone them and bring them and that relationship to the table, and repeat what it is that god gave them the desire to do. >> the race began 40 years ago as a way to revive a dying dog sled tradition in alaska. once the state depended on sleds, in 1925 mushers and dogs combined to delivery dip they are i can't vaccine to stop an he epidemic where the race now ends. >> it is really big there and nice to show the people in alaska that you can -- you're as good or keep up with them. >> keeping the dogs i guess healthy is crucial. each has a full medical before the race, making sure its heart

can endure the run over snow, ice and this year, bare patches of rock. a warm intermeans less snow. the relative heat is hard on the dogs, who sweat and lose more energy. >> weather is always a concern. this is alaska and it's huge. it can be too warm or it can be really cold. it can be, you know, really snowy or it can be as in parts of the trail this year, virtually little snow. you know, it is what it is, and that's part of having preparation to be able to deal with those situations. >> just looking at these dogs before a race, you can see that the animals love to run. it's what they're born to, what they live for and what makes them happy. >> the teams are now making their way through north america's highest mountains, the alaska range. next week and beyond they'll battle the elements and each other, pushing themselves, dogs

and humans together in what's known here as the last great race, the iditarod. aljazeera, outsidin outside anc. >> the dogs should be crossing the line next week. >> our own libby casey has moderated has race. >> guess who's more popular than the president? first lady. the polls showing 66% of americans like michelle obama compared to 52% who say the same about the president, her ratings unchanged from a year and a half ago. she first as high as 177% when the president first took office. >> the president's ratings are lower than ever. >> i wonder if they would do the wives of the members of congress, too. >> an honor student and athlete in new jersey is suing her parents for financial support because she wants to go to college and she says her parents

as i could her out of the home when she was 18. this is according to new jersey daily record. she's a cheerleader and lacrosse player. her parents say she left on her own will. >> climbers on mount every rest soon have to pick up the trash along the way. there are 50 tons of trash that are left on mount everrest. they do have bodies. >> oxygen tanks, lots of climbers trying to get to the world's highest peek. >> singapore is the world's most expensive city to live in. the city's strong currency, soaring utility bills and high transport costs make it priceyer than ever. the cost of driving a car here is three times higher than in new york. it is the most expensive place in the world to buy clothes. it replaces tokyo topping the list last year. other cities rounding the top five, paris, oslo, nor why and

zero rick in switzerland. new york is ranked 26th on this list. >> here's a look at the stories for the next hour. >> the obama administration ready to impose sanctions on russia over the crisis in ukraine, a senior official saying the sanctions would likely come in days not weeks. the president unveiling the trillion dollar budget today expected to include tax breaks. >> israeli prime minister netanyahu set to speak in an hour following white house discussions with obama. >> adults learning to read and write late in life. some are giving time and skills to others who missed out. >> mardi gras underway and new orleans descending on the big easy. police are working to keep them all safe. >> sharp drop in temperatures have parts of the south shivering this morning. an update on the forecast.

>> we are back to you in two minutes. have a great morning. real reporting that brings you the world. >> this is a pretty dangerous trip. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

>> tougher talk from russian president vladimir putin, comments coming since sending troops into the ukraine. they come ahead of secretary of state john kerry arriving in kiev. >> president obama's budget proposal. >> he appreciated everything that he learned. >> 30 million adult americans can't read or write, how some are getting help to overcome i

illiteracy. >> it is one big party in the big easy. new orleans police chief doesn't plan to take a holiday when it comes to mardi gras. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. for the first time since sending troops to ukraine, russian president vladimir putin now addressing the crisis, speaking to a handful of reporters in moscow this morning, he addressed viktor yanukovych, the troops in crimea and ukraine's new government, his comments coming on the heels after a tense confrontation between russian troops and ukrainian soldiers. he'ljohn kerry will meet with te new government today. phil ittner has been covering

the crisis from kiev. vladimir putin had an awful lot to say today. >> he certainly did, del, this is the first public appearance since this entire crisis began, in an hour long press conference, he outlined his position. he took a swipe at western powers, saying that for them, this is some sort of laboratory experiment in democracy, but for russia a fraternal partner where they have centuries of experience. he also said that he had met to viktor yanukovych but accepted that yanukovych has no political future here, but saying that the people who are in power currently, this government, seized power by illegitimate means and if they really wanted to be in power should have done it through more constitutional methods. >> this is a constitutional revolt and military seizure of

power. the only legal president is yanukovych. the only way president can be changed, his death, impeachment or legislation. >> now, he also said that while the russians do not want to use force in ukraine that if they have to, they can and that gels with some very shocking pictures that we have seen coming out of crimea today, where apparently ukrainian forces approached russian forces and tried to create a dialogue with them. the russians were having none of it, shooting warning shots over their heads in what is almost a parallel event with what we saw in georgia in 2008. an awful lot of action happening both on the ground and on the diplomatic front. del. >> phil ittner live in kiev,

thank you very much. >> meanwhile in washington, president obama keeping the pressure on russia to pull troops out of ukraine. sanctions could be coming soon for russia along with economic aid for ukraine. we remind you that for breaking news updates concerning the situation in ukraine, all you have to do is follow our continuing coverage of our live blog on our website, aljazeera.com. >> china's state run media is blaming a separatist group for stabbings that left more than 30 people dead. it happened saturday night at a train station. the attackers from the region. beijing has been cracking down on western minority groups in recent months. more than 100 people have died in the fighting there. >> a second day of testimony now underway in the murder trial of

olympic blade runner oscar pistorius, on trial for the shooting of his girlfriend. defense attorneys cross examined a witness who described hearing a woman scream and then heard gunshots. he said he shot his girlfriend by mistake, thinking that she was a burglar. we want to turn back to our coverage of the ukraine, the white house keeping close tabs on russia, trying to see what it will do with troops in ukraine. there's word sanctions could come soon for russia along with economic aid for ukraine. lisa stark is in washington, what are we hearing from the white house? >> the white house just announced it is working with congress to provide $1 billion, a billion dollars in loan guarantees to ukraine to help cover energy costs. it's part of a package of financial assistance that the u.s. and the international community are working to try to provide to that country to restore economic stability

there. john kerry, the secretary of state has arrived in kiev, the capitol of ukraine for his series of meetings. >> president obama called his national security council together to discuss how to deal with the events unfolding in ukraine. while the president weighs his options, the upon the gone says it is suspending exercises and other activities with the russian military, while russian forces remain in the crimea region of ukraine. it's the latest step by president obama who says russia is breaking international law. >> what cannot be done is for russia with impunity to put its soldiers on the ground and to violate basic principles that are recognized around the world. >> that tough talk was echoed at the united nations by american's am britney spears door to the u.n. >> what is happening today is a

dangerous military intervention in ukraine. it is an act of aggression, it must stop. >> but that sharp and pointed rhetoric, argued the president's critics is coming too little too late. >> economic enact economic sanctions. there's a broad awry of sanctions. why do we care? this is the ultimate relate of a feckless foreign policy where nobody believes in america's strength anymore! >> the white house disagrees as it weighs economic sanctions and points to russia's occurrence. monday, the ruble plum melted to an all time low against the dollar and euro. another casualty, russia's gas and coal industries, the e.u. is its largest customer and closer ties with ukraine might sanction moscow banks. >> i think he is in a dangerous state of mind and not thinking fully about long term consequences.

>> the white house this morning announcing that it will begin providing technical rance to ukraine in a number of areas. first, to help with managing financial markets, also to help insure a free and fair election. and to help ukraine discover and recover any stolen assets. del. >> lisa, you mention that had big hit that russia's economy has taken from the talk about economic sanctions. are we hearing specifics coming out of the white house today? >> the administration has said that sanctions are very likely. they talked about things like trade sanctions, freezing of assets, denying visas to russians who want to travel to the u.s. putin talked about the sanctions this morning in his news conference and indicated that those could backfire, there should be losses on both sides, as he put it. >> lisa stark for us in washington d.c., than thank youy much. later, the president will submit his budget plan. the white house saying the big deal here is to address economic

inequality. >> the president said one way to do that is offer a tax credit for workers without children. for years, it's only been workers with children who have benefited from the earned income tax credit. the white house said the expansion of this credit under the new budget would address an important missed opportunity. mr. obama wants to do you believe childless workers tax credit to $1,000 a year. to off set the cost, the president proposes an end to an old tax break for wealthy, closing tax loopholes for high income self employed workers. other ideas in the president's proposal, making preschool available for all 4-year-olds, plus the tax credit for college tuition, he wants to make that permanent. he's including funding to upgrade aging highways and railroads across the country.

the president also wants to expand the child care tax credit overall. the white house said these cuts are expected to help 13.5 million americans if congress approves the plan. >> that is unlikely. >> that's exactly right. critics say that republicans will likely not get onboard with this budget plan. >> the big headlines seems to be about the earned income tax credit. >> yes. this is something both sides of the aisle have supported for years. not only does he want to expand to workers without children, he wants to make 21-year-old workers qualify, before it was 24-year-olds, now it's going to be less than that, so now you're going to have more people able to qualify for this big credit if congress approves it, but you never know, this could be something that gains traction because both sides have been supporting it over the years. >> thank you very much. >> israeli's prime minister pushing back against diplomacy

in the middle east, netanyahu meeting at the white thousand monday to discuss a political pact with the palestinians. prime minister netanyahu expressed frustration with american policies toward syria and iran. today he will deliver the key note speech to the american israeli. affairs committee, the largest pro israeli lobbying group in the u.s. libby casey joins us now from washington. the prime minister sitting with the president behind closed doors yesterday. what came out of that long meeting? >> ranging from what should be done to syria in syria, rather, to what should happen in ukraine, because that does have implications for global situation. one of the key points they addressed was the on going peace talks that secretary of state john kerry is trying to broker and move forward. he set a deadline at the end of the april as the time to create

a basic framework. now prime minister netanyahu expressed to president obama publicly as they sat in the oval office, had a few minutes before the press, he said publicly he wants to make sure the white house insists that the palestinians recognize the state of israel. another big topic of conversation, iran. there are grave concerns coming from israel about the deal that's been brokered with iran to make sure it does not move forward and develop nuclear weapons. prime minister netanyahu had direct words for the white house. >> iran calls openly for israel's instruction, so i'm sure you'll appreciate that israeli cannot permit such a state to have the ability to make atomic bombs to achieve that goal. we just cannot be brought back again to the brink of destruction.

i as the prime minister of israeli will do what i must do to defend the jewish state. >> now prime minister netanyahu will speak this morning, he's the key note speaker. we'll talk about what exactly he has to say with the thousand us gathered here to attended. >> a hot topic at aipac yesterday. >> absolutely. it was addressed by a number of officials who came to speak, including secretary of state john kerry. the white house is trying to reassure prime minister netanyahu, as well as those attending aipac that the u.s. is serious about holding iran accountable. >> if iran fails this test, america will not fail israel, that i promise. we have taken no options off the table, but so far, there is no question but that tough sanctions and strong diplomacy

are already making israel and america safer. >> secretary kerry said iran will be closed for business until it is closed for business rewarding nuclear weapons and having a bomb. he is talking about holding a tough line. got criticism from senator john mccain. he wants to see congress impose sanctions on iran if they pull back from the nuclear framework hashed out. senator mccain had harsh words for the obama administration. >> libby casey, thank you very much. >> a group of republicans from the west want to overturn same-sex marriage bans, urging a federal appeals court to declare bans in utah and oklahoma unconstitutional. two former senators are among

the 20 republicans who have signed a friend of the court brief. hearings are scheduled for april. >> parts of the east coast recovering from a powerful winter storm, the latest in a series of storms dumping freezing rain and snow from the great plains to the mid atlantic. the house and is not canceling scheduled votes. more than 3,000 flights canceled monday because of that weather. washington's reagan international airport was the worst hit but has been a problem all winter long. more than 1 million flights have been delayed or canceled since december 1. that has cost the airlines billions of dollars. that winter storm is gone, but it has left the cold in its wake and ebony deon joins us now. how long is the cold weather going to stick around? >> much of the week. by the latter part of the week, we will see our temperatures rebounding getting back close to average but still on the chilly side. this morning it is definitely cold, temperatures have dropped

about 10 degrees colder within the last 24 hours around washington, d.c. you head further south, in raleigh it is an eight-degree temperature difference than 24 hours ago. looking at radar and satellite, you can see the cold front has cleared the coast. we have quiet conditions behind it. it is very, very cold. the tail end of the front is across florida. we're seeing a good bit of moisture coming up out of the gulf of mexico interacting with that cold air producing an icy mess around the houston area. we're seeing mainly just heavy rainfall around beaumont, texas where temperatures are just above the freezing point. rain will continue to spread along the gulf coast and around new orleans for mardi gras, it is going to be a cold, damp day. around georgia, no rain expected. we're not expecting to see anymore frozen precipitation around north carolina but do still have a winter weather advisory in place because of

black ice possibility. take it easy on the roads there. here's a look across the southeast, we are going to keep things fairly unsettled, area of low pressure along the gulf coast will throw moisture our direction bringing rain further north into georgia and we could see this wet weather through thursday. >> the north carolina power company duke energy now cited for violating water pollution laws after that massive coal ash bill. last month, a leak at a plant coated the dan river in 70 miles of toxic sludge. the company failed to get permits at six power plants that would have required testing and possible warning against a spill. the company could be find $25,000 per day per plant. >> president putin ordering an end to military exercises in western russia. whether this is an effort to ease escalating tensions with the west. >> fighting to change the political landscape of texas, democrats plan to shift the

largely red state in their favor. >> a new warning about c-sections, why it could have a lasting impact on children later in life. ♪

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>> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. texans heading to the polls today casting blots in america's first statewide primary of this years elections. all eyes on state senator wendy davis who seems to have the weight of the entire democratic state party on her shoulders. >> sure, a lot of pressure an her, the polls already open. it is expected that davis will sweep the democratic primary here. the real challenge will be november when she will face her presumed republican opponent greg abbot. the texas democrats say that will be an uphill battle that's still a long time away and they

hope to carry the momentum forward. >> hi, this is the dallas county democratic party. >> the phones are ringing off off the hook. turnout among democrats is on track to surpass the 2012 presidential primary. election watchers chalk it up to excitement over wendy davis, the democratic state senator who famously fill busted for abortion rights and who's now on the ballot for governor. >> we've got that fire. that's what's making a difference. >> carmen sees her as texas's best hope in 20 years, that's how long republicans have controlled every statewide

office in texas, making it one of the reddest states in the country. she sees it differently. >> i see it purple. i've even more people become political involved in the last year. >> the last time texans voted for governor was 2010. 38% of registered voters casted a ballot. walking the streets of heavily democratic neighborhoods is the focus of campaign consultant jeff dalton.

>> there probably has been depression in the democratic party, why bother, we won't win. >> if the democrats were serious about having wendy davis in a statewide office, they would have put her in a race she could win. >> if she doesn't win, they say she'll build momentum. they are encouraged that by 2020, more hispanics and young people like zack bullard will make a difference. >> ever you tried to sway your father? >> i have. >> does it work? >> sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. >> at bullard's kitchen table and across the state, it's something democrats see as progress. aljazeera, dallas. >> to give you an idea of the uphill battle wendy davis faces,

she has $11 million in her coffers versus gag abbot's $30 million. the last reporting period, it did slightly edge out the republican opponent. >> heidi, thank you very much this morning. >> taking a look at business news at this hour, easing tensions in ukraine, helping global markets rebound. the cries causing a selloff on monday, dow futures up 165 points. european markets are up across the board. up more than 2% in asia. >> detroit and two major creditors working a deal on the sticking points, the city owes because of a prefers agreement to reduce pension liabilities.

the plan would pay the banks $85 million to settle those claims. the bankruptcy judge still needs to sign off. >> dish network and disney striking a deal allowing dish subscribers allowing access to content over the internet, ending a legal standoff between the two companies over ad skipping technology. there's no date when that service will rollout. >> apple is beefing staff in asia, hiring hundreds of engineers and managers in chain in a and taiwan as an attempt to speed up product development. >> the government saying america's parks drive the economic engine, as well, the national park service reporting visitors to the 401 sites spent $15 billion in nearby communities. it supports a quarter million jobs adding $27 billion to the economy. >> let's check temperatures around the country today.

>> it's colder than yesterday in the northeast, new york city feels at three degrees. feels like two in philadelphia, zero in cleveland. our actual air temperatures are 10 degrees cooler. you will still need to bundle up. cold air invaded much of the deep south. in shreveport we're at 26, houston is above the freezing point. temperatures aren't going to move that much as we top out 39 degrees, so not even getting to the 40-degree mark. looking for the warmth, we have it across the southwest and florida. in miami, we expect 83. >> russia making its case for its presence in crimea, how its influence in the region could affect future ties between the east and west. >> when i started started, it was hard. it was hard, but i say this is what i wanted to do. >> fighting illiteracy in

adults, one man's personal journey to learn to read. >> police on the lookout for mardi gras revelers who get too wild, trying to keep people safe on fad tuesday. >> they don't call lebron james king james for nothing. we'll have highlights of a performance monday night that might have you calling james m.v.p.

>> you are looking live at the ukrainian embassy in new york city. a small monument has been set up to honor those who died trying to take control of the ukrainian government seizing power from ousted president viktor yanukovych. welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. we'll have more on the crisis in a moment, and ahead we'll talk about a 101-year-old florida man who decided he doesn't want to retire because he's running for congress. >> nearly 30 million americans

can't read and write, some people trying to change that. >> russian penalty vladimir putin speaking for the first time since sending troops to ukraine, meeting with reporters in moss so you addressing the ousted president viktor yanukovych. this comes at secretary of state john kerry arrives in kiev meeting with the new government of ukraine. his visit is viewed as part of a u.s. plan to pressure moscow. >> there was a contractation between russian soldiers and ukrainian troops, the russians firing warning shots in the air telling them to back off. the standing was diffused without blood she had. we have a close took at tense

situation there. >> those are not ukrainian soldiers or a ukrainian flag. the welcoming committee doesn't pledge allegiance to ukraine. >> we are here to support the russian peacekeepers, the only means to stop the violence in ukraine. in this area of rural crimea, the russian occupation is growing and the resistance seems nonexistent. these russian soldiers occupied the base without firing a shot. visitors brought sandwiches an a tea pot. soldiers relaxed in crudely fortified positions, they brought machine guns and in the windows have sniper weapons to be used against helicopters. witness we watched them, they watched us. these troops don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. >> can i ask you a question? can we ask you a question, please? i guess not.

>> just down the road, some crimeans welcomed their occupiers. >> we think they protect us, she said, our village and crimea. these residents repeat a russian government claim, crimeans are threatened by protestors from kiev, thee hundred 50 miles north. >> you said they protect you from the people in independence square in kiev. have you seen any of those people here? >> no, we haven't seen them but we heard rumors that they could storm crimea. this is where they get those rumors. this is russian t.v., watched by the vast majority of crimeans and the containing other is suggesting these pro tests in kiev will spread to crimea. the battle for crimea is also on the air waivers and it depends who you watch. 21-year-old is the anchor for

crimea's most popular tartar station. it is the largest ethnic minority. they're ladies and gentlemen wednesday is with the west and they are quietly resisting the russian invasion. >> nationalities that weren't united before are all coming together against one enemy, the russians. at night, they unit to guard their own neighborhoods. this man says if ukrainian soldiers won't help, he'll defend his family himself. for him, the russians are invaders. history might be repeating itself, he says, clearly russia wants crimea back. at the end of the day, the russian presence is growing, and becoming more entrenched. they don't have to look far to find support. >> just a short time ago, the

white house announced it is working with congress and the government of ukraine to provide $1 billion in loan guarantees to the country that desperately needs it. >> a reminder, we will follow the events as they unfold in ukraine. stay with aljazeera america for the very latest on the cries. >> for breaking news and updates around the clock on the crisis, check out our live blog at aljazeera.com. >> attorney general eric holder joining forces with republicans to soften sentencing laws, getting rid of so-called minimum hand tear sentences for non-die vent greg offenders. rand paul and ted cruz might support the overhaul. the legislation is backed by the white house. eric holder saying one third of the budget justice is spent on prisons. he wants to reduce the prison population and save money. >> new research showing that friends and not drug dealers are supplying drug abusers with prescription pain killers.

according to the cdc, only 15% of addicts buy drugs from dealers or strangers. half of those suede get the drugs for free from friends or relatives. >> a 100-year-old florida man can debate with anyone when it comes to politics. he feels his mind is sharper than those much younger than he is. we met joe newman who is running for congress. >> joe newman is an optimist, because he has to be. the first vote he cast was for president franklin roosevelt. he hopes the next will be for himself, he is running for congress. >> they tell me ok, you've got a big mouth and most of the people you use it on think that you are saying something reasonable. >> at 101 years owed, he'll tell you sure, he wakes up achy and

no longer plays golf because it aggravates him too much, but he recently bought a new car, and he can still dance with his 93-year-old girlfriend, anita as he did during his birthday party last month. >> what would you say to people who worry that you don't have the physical stamina? >> well, you don't like to say this, but who knows about tomorrow? who knows? >> the registered democratic is in lock step with most of his parties positions on the major issues, saying it's time for immigration reform, the n.s.a. spying program is an invasion of privacy and government needs to boost the middle class. he says his candidacy is born out of a rue beak to the so-called do nothing congress and a depression era belief that the government should throw a lifeline to those struggling.

>> what is frightening is people are thinking that government is lost. our government is our tool that we must use to create a better society. >> he says he can already claim victory. >> winning or losing the election is important, but the fact that if we can get people who consider our purpose here, then that, to me, if i've done that, that's a victory. >> newman admits he has more questions than answers when it comes to improving life for americans, but he does have a lot of opinions. in the coming months, he looks forward to sharing those, including on twitter, which he's learning to use. aljazeera, sarasota, florida. >> currently, the oldest member of the house is a 90-year-old republican from texas, representative ralph hall.

>> babies delivered by c-section could become overweight or obese as adults. scientists looking at data saying babies delivered by c-section were 26% more likely to have a higher body mass index than those barn through natural delivery. more research is needed to establish a direct connection between the two. >> children with a t.v. in their bedroom are likely to gain more with the, researchers looking at surveys for more than 6,000 children ages 10-14 found nearly 60% had a t.v. in their bedroom, most gaining weight compared to children without a t.v. last month, the c.d.c. reported childhood obesity dropped with the most significant decline in nearly a decade. >> research shows anger could trigger heart attacks. the risk of a heart attack increases after an outburst five fold and risk of stroke three fold. the harvard school of public health finding the effects build up. if you are angry a lot, you can

raise your overall risk for heart attacks and strokes. >> a new discovery from a dark chapter in american history during the forced internment of japanese americans during world war ii, some held in idaho. we report on the findings of a newarkologyical dig. >> turn up a gravel road, and you'll stop out into history, overgrown and buried. >> this internment camp housed 265 inmates, all male, mostly volunteers from other camps. there was no barbed wire or guard towers, one road in and out and wilderness in every direction. >> i worked on a road along a

river. the pay was $55 a month. >> it was the only camp of its kind in the united states, an experiment. >> the men were of japanese dissent but not american citizens, some kidnapped by the u.s. government out of latin america and brought to this country after the attack on pearl harbor. arturo was from peru. >> during free time i played ball, learned the fun of fishing and tried to learn a few words of english. >> because he was under justice democratic jurisdiction, these men were considered prisoners of war. they had geneva convention rights, knew it and exercise those rights. >> their food was better, accommodations better. they could get beer. >> they demanded their own doctor and dentist and got them. there were movies, musical

instruments available, a baseball field and equipment for the players. that's maryanne's father in the white hat. digs have produced objects from the two years it operated during the war. project leader dr. stacy camp first walked the site in 2010, certain it had been largely untouched for 65 years. >> we looked around and there were whole bottles and thousands of artifacts on the surface. >> it includes gambling games, art carved from local river rock, faded candy wrappers and so much more. >> he would have loved that there's more studying going on now and fed could have gone to see the dig site and all of that, that would have been awesome for him. >> he did try decades ago before he died, father and daughter drove the 200 plus miles of highway 12 that he helped build, but never found the camp. the buildings had been dishandled after the war.

>> he was free to have all that experience. antthat ironic when i say he was free to have that experience. my father liked it. >> he wasn't free, of course, just a prisoner of a different kind in a different kind of world war ii camp. >> they are trying to create an accurate picture of life for detainees. egypt's army chief wants to be the next president, official proceedings will take place on his candidacy in the upcoming days. assisi saying he can't ignore calls for him to run. he led the overthrow of egypt's first civilian president mohamed morsi last year. the egypt courts banning has mass from operating in egypt, an off should of the muslim

brotherhood which cairo declared a terrorist group last year. >> our colleagues continue to be held in egypt, the government claiming they all reported false news and clop rate the with the muslim brotherhood. they were arrest december 29. aljazeera denies the allegations and demands their immediate release. aljazeera arabic journalist has been defind since august of last year. he has been on a hunger strike now for more than a month. >> a record setting night for one of the nba's finest, we have the story. >> good morning. pooral jefferson. on any other night scoring 38 points and pulling down 19 rebounds would be a big story, but on monday night a guy on the other team had a better night, that guy, lebron james. together james and wade average 46 games but monday the heat rested wade and james decided to score a lot of points, hitting

his first eight three-point attempts, setting a record he 22 field goals made, 25 points in a quarter and 61 points made for a game, his career high coming against the bobcats. heat win, james says he drew strength from his home crowd. >> the excitement from the fans, they showed me i was doing something special, looking over to our bench and seeing really excited about what i was doing, they showed me i was doing something special. when you're in the zone, you're just out playing, just doing what needs to be done to help the team win. >> more love from the crowd, warm applause greeted the nba's first openly gay player making his home debut in brooklyn, this after jason collins signed a second 10 day contract with the brooklyn nets. he signed his first 10 day deal with the team february 23. since then, he's averaged three points and four rebounds per game.

he pulled down a rebound. the nets beat the bulls 96-80. >> unrest in the ukraine is getting more serious by the day and the sports world is not immune. this game was originally set to happen in the ukrainian city, but the violent clashes convinced the game to be moved to cypress. the game will go on tomorrow. >> baseball fans, you wanted expanded instant replay, now you got it. let the record reflect that the first call by a manager for a replay challenge happened monday in fort myers, florida. sixth inning of a game between the blue jays and twins, kawasaki makes the throw at

first, pulls the first baseman off the bag. the runner is ruled safe. the manager did he say agrees and calls for the first ever replay challenge. after two and a half minutes, the replay official announced that the call would stand. in all, three reviews happened in exhibition baseball monday, all three calls in question were upheld. >> to golf, tiger woods hopes that his back holds up enough to let him defend his championship this week. woods had to withdraw from the honda classic this weekend due to back spasms. the resort has made significant changes to its famed blue monster course since tiger won last year. tuesday he was supposed to play a practice round to get used to the layout and participate in a free press conference, however his agent announced he was receiving treatment and his status for the start of play thursday was up in the air. >> that's right sports this morning. >> you always wanted to hear the

words tiger's back, but not in this way. >> cracking down on crime in the big easy, police plan to keep the party safe. >> learning to read later in life, the battle to help millions of i wil illiterate ad. >> i'll have the details on where it will be a wet tuesday.

>> every sunday night al jazeera america brings you controversial... >> both parties are owned by the corporations. >> ..entertaining >> it's fun to play with ideas. >> ...thought provoking >> get your damn education. >> ...surprising >> oh, absolutely! >> ...exclusive one-on-one interviews with the most interesting people of our time. >> you're listening because you want to see what's going to happen. >> i want to know what works what do you know works? >> conversations you won't find anywhere else. >> talk to al jazeera. >> only on al jazeera america. >> oh my! al jazeera america gives you the total news experience anytime, anywhere.

more on every screen. digital, mobile, social. visit aljazeera.com. follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. just ahead, teaching adults who never learn to read how to. first, let's check the snow and rain across the country today and here is ebony deon. >> i'm watching the snow coming down around the great lakes starting to get a little break around chicago, but still do have that snow coming in around western michigan.

kalamazoo, northern areas of indiana south bend into fort wayne snow heavier. we're still not expecting to see much. that cold air made its way into south texas where icing conditions have set up across southern areas of texas, including houston. travel around i-10, it's going to be a slippery, dangerous go. if you don't have to travel, wait it out. we're seeing reports of a quarter inch to half inch of ice. that's sagging those power lines and has brought trees down. generally all these areas shaded in pink as weaver gone through the morning, it has made its way further east, even moving into southwestern areas of mississippi around mccomb, so keep that in mind out there. in the northwest, a little break, an area of high pressure building in, but still getting that persistent moisture. in washington and oregon we have

the moisture source, meaning rain across the southwest. overall today, rain will continue along the gulf coast. we'll see some of that spreading eastward moving in western florida, might see a thunderstorm, too. >> it is mardi gras, time in new orleans, 1 million people in the big easy to celebrate. lots of people, alcohol and potential for problems. we have more from new orleans. >> as the tourists flock in. >> it's mardi gras 2014, baby. >> there's a certain mentality. >> if you drink alcohol last night, you got to drink alcohol again. >> that approach often blurs the boundaries for tourists. >> you're looking for trouble in the french quarter, you're going to find it. >> even with the addition of state troopers, revelers

outnumber police 2,000 to one requiring an altered state to law and order. >> we look for people who might foolishly bring a gun, for people who are inebriated to the point where they destroy their opportunity for safety or the enjoyment of others around them. >> hard draw is a special circumstance and they're well aware that people behave differently because of the party atmosphere. they say it takes a delicate balance between public safety and police discretion. >> are you just start arresting everyone, you can have chaos, if we can move them along the way, let them know that's not acceptable, move on. >> some don't know when to move on. last year 1700 people were arrested mostly for lewd behavior and public drunken necessary. the police have a mobile operating unit. thirty plain clothes officers patrol the most active french quarter areas. >> we're rednecks, we take care of ourselves.

[ laughter ] >> they ain't going to hurt nothing. >> as long as you're aware of your surroundings, it's an ok area. >> although they are outnumbered, the trouble makers are a fraction of the crowd. >> we can get people to follow the common sense rules that turn into common sense safety, we can do the things we're very good at. >> for those who don't cooperate, police are prepared. >> thank you very much. read across america day was created to encourage children to enjoy books, but there are 32 million duties who struggle to read, as well. it's never too late to learn. >> every monday and friday, harold barnes heads to the chicago cultural center for a date with the same woman. >> it had been too -- too -- in a quiet corner, he is with his tutor. he grew up in poverty on a farm,

never attending school and never learning to read. >> i want to read my mail. when my wife passed away, then i got to go from relative to relative, trying to get them to help me receipt my mail. i said this ain't going to work. >> according to pro literacy, a nonprofit educational group, 30 million u.s. adults can't read beyond a third great level but 3 million are getting too late tored. >> getting an adult to learn to read can be a real challenge. literacy often needs to be tied to some sort of goal, like getting a high school diploma or getting a job. >> you're right. >> this literacy class for low income adults provides tutoring in reading, math and social studies with the goal of preparing students for high school equivalency exams. >> before you read, use prior knowledge, that's what we were

doing when we looked at the title of the picture. >> federal block grants to states fund this. literacy advocate says money pays for the classes only but not other service that is might get more students to attend classes. >> do they need transportation, child care, addressing some of these barriers so that they can go back, build their foundational skills. >> barnes didn't have those barriers. he started learning to read after retiring from a hotel job. still, being an older student was a challenge. >> when i first started the learning with miss sally, it was hard. it was hard, but this is what i wanted to do. >> barnes now reads at a third grade level and is her most aspiring student. >> he appreciated everything that he learned, every week was a new adventure. >> an adventure that has changed his life. >> i ain't the way i used to be.

ooh, it makes you feel so good. >> an adventure he says he'll continue. aljazeera, chicago. >> read across america day was created to honor dr. seuss. the writer would be 110 years old sunday had he lived. >> a wall in the ancient roman city of pompeii collapsed monday due to heavier rains, the third clams over the last three days. it is one of italy's most popular tourist attractions. it was preserved under ash from a volcano and recovered in the 18th century. it is a symbol of the government's mismanagement of cultural sites in italy, according to some. >> we want to focus on the cries in ukraine, russian troops firing their weapons in the air screaming orders to unarmed ukrainian troops. russian troops now occupy that

base. the next photo captures president vladimir putin meeting with leaders ahead of those military exercises near st. petersburg. the troops have since pulled back. >> more than 1500 pro russian demonstrators gathering in owe did he say is a, the third largest city in western ukraine clashed with ukrainian nationalists who tried to remove a russian flag. that's it for this edition of aljazeera america news. remember, you can follow breaking news and updates on the ukraine crisis by checking out our live web block on other website, aljazeera.com. we leave you with a look at the new york city skyline where things are bitterly cold that morning and thanks ain't going to get better. documentaries. colin comes from a long line of ferrymen. >> you're a riverman from start to finish... >> now he leaves home to see what life is like on the waters of bangladesh. >> it's absolutely filthy... >> he learns how difficult

working ther can be. >> how do you say..."get out the way"? >> shoro >> can this brittish man find common ground with his local host? >> "must really take it out of mr. loteef"... >> toughest place to be a ferryman on al jazeera america

>> tafficked labor on the front lines? >> they're things...they're commodities... >> we go undercover... >> it isn't easy to talk at this base... >> what's happining on u.s. bases... >> the taxpayer directly pays the human trafficker. >> fault lines... al jazeera america's hard hitting...

>> they're locking the doors... >> groung breaking... >> they killed evan dead. >> truth seeking... >> they don't wanna show what's really going on... >> breakthough investigative documentary series america's war workers only on al jazeera america >> confrontation in crimea. shots fired approaching russian forces f russia's prime minister says there are not going to be troops in ukrainean government. he accuses the government of an armed coup. hello there. i am laura kyle live in doha. also on the program: syria speeds up its destruction of chemical weapons in an effort to keep the